Academic Director

Academic Director Job Description

Title: AIM Academic Director

Work Schedule:  M: 9:30 - 11:00; 12:00 - 1:30 BREAK; 1:30 - 6:00 // W - Fr: 10:00 - 6:00

Location: Prairieview Elementary + AIM Tennis 

Reports To: Program Director and Executive Director 

Supervises: Academic Coordinator/Intern and College and Career Coordinator 

Salary Range: $40,000 - $45,000

Mission

To promote health, academic achievement, and character development through positive youth development. 

Vision

We use tennis and the principles of sport to build a community of children, youth, and adults who work, learn, and play hard together. 

Job Summary: 

The Academic Director is a leadership position overseeing the academic development and success of students within the program, working closely with the Academic Coordinator/Intern and the College and Career Coordinator. This role involves ensuring effective academic support, structuring academic time, developing success plans, and facilitating communication between students, teachers, parents, and volunteers. 

The Academic Director will lead the Academic Team, which includes the Academic Coordinator/intern and the College and Career Coordinator. The team contributes to the execution and ongoing development of the AIM Academic Days, Student Success Blueprint, and AIM’s partnership with Peak Literacy and iXL.

The Academic Director will spend time both in schools (meeting with teachers, administrators, and students) and on-site working on academic planning and overall team collaboration.

Occasional travel may be required for school visits, college campus tours, and other external meetings.

This position must demonstrate AIM Values and Skills: Learning, Integrity, Leadership, Community, Teamwork, Effort, and Resilience. 

Responsibilities: 

Supervision 

• Commit to and model the AIM Mission and Values for all staff, students and families


• Supervise the Academic Coordinator/Intern and College and Career Coordinator weekly activities to monitor the academic progress of all students, including out-of-district and alternative school students, ensuring they receive consistent check-ins


• Supervise all Coaches, providing direction and responsibilities to appropriately delegate daily tasks for the benefit of all AIM students 


• Work directly with students to identify areas of need, ensuring they have adequate academic support.


• Provide 1:1 meetings with students to assess academic progress, address challenges, and structure academic time effectively.


• Develop and implement strategies to keep students engaged during academic time, including interactive components for when students have no homework or assignments such as Peak Literacy and iXL 


• Identify striving students and create personalized plans for their academic support, collaborating with teachers and other educational professionals.


• Coordinate with the Academic Coordinator to monitor the academic progress of out-of-district and alternative school students, ensuring they receive consistent check-ins.


• Manage academic time for students, ensuring that their activities during school hours are meaningful, structured, and tailored to their individual needs


• Collaborate with the Academic Coordinator to track vital data such as grades, test scores, attendance, and academic progress via Skyward

• Support Program Director in partnering Coaches in Training (CITs) and volunteers with students to ensure they provide appropriate 1:1 support for striving students

• Lead success plan meetings, collaborating with the Academic Coordinator and College and Career Coordinator to develop individualized strategies for students’ academic and post-secondary success.

• Participate in training and development opportunities to learn/improve best youth development practices and implementation of programs and activities


• Guide all Coaches on daily activities or program equipment when appropriate


• Daily set-up and breakdown of program equipment, resources, and areas used during programming 


• Responsible for cleanliness and order of program sites at the beginning and end of program hours
  

Relationship Building

• Support and encourage youth through modeling and daily reflection of AIM values and skills: Learning, Integrity, Leadership, Community, Teamwork, Effort, and Resilience


• Facilitate relationships between students, volunteers, and staff members 


• Cultivate positive relationships with youth and to offer quality, engaging and fun educational opportunities 


• Implement multicultural educational strategies needed to support youth from the Gainesville community to improve individual academic performance, life skills, and character development


• Willingness to learn and understand youth development and/or educational work with youth, families, and organizations of Alachua County 


• Act as a liaison between students, teachers, parents, and other stakeholders, ensuring that all parties are kept informed about student progress, challenges, and needs


• Communicate with parents regarding students' academic progress and provide updates on their success plans as needed 
  

Programming:

• Work directly with students to identify areas of need, ensuring they have adequate academic support


• Provide 1:1 meetings with students to assess academic progress, address challenges, and structure academic time effectively


• Develop and implement strategies to keep students engaged during academic time, including interactive components for when students have no homework or assignments


• Identify striving students and create personalized plans for their academic support, collaborating with teachers and other educational professionals


• Manage academic time for students, ensuring that their activities during school hours are meaningful, structured, and tailored to their individual needs.


• Collaborate with the Academic Coordinator to track grades, test scores, attendance, and academic progress via systems like Skyward.

Qualifications: 

• Ability to present a positive image to staff, participants, colleagues, and the community 


• Ability to work independently, be flexible, and manage multiple priorities. Must be capable of adaptability with daily schedule as well as be organized and plan efficiently


• High degree of emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills  


• Responsible, dependable, punctual, and initiative-taking 


• A positive attitude and mature personality conducive to working effectively as a team player with diverse members, staff, interns, volunteers, parents/guardians and other stakeholders 


• Must be friendly and professional at all times 


• Must have a strong work ethic and high degree of professionalism 


• Detail-oriented with excellent communication, organizational, interpersonal and writing skills


• Valid FL Driver’s License. Must have reliable transportation and be able to drive a car and have appropriate auto insurance coverage 


• CPR/AED and First Aid Certification within 90 days of employment 


• Proficient computer skills, especially using Microsoft Suite and Google Suite of applications